Assignment 3 (individual) Design and evaluate an e-learning/blendedlearning lesson

Description of the intended audience [5 points]

The target learners are freshmen in college whose majors are English.
They are learning Critical thinking modulethis semester and the first 3 chapters of the course
have been learned:
Chapter 1: Introduction to Critical Thinking 1.1Definitions of critical thinking
1.2 The importance of critical thinking.
Chapter 2: Analyse Arguments
2.1The structure of arguments
2.2how to analyse simple arguments
2.3 how to analyse complex arguments.
Chapter 3: Deductive vs. Inductive arguments
3.1: Deductive Arguments. Validity. Soundness
3.2: Syllogisms
3.3: Inductive Arguments. Strength. Cogency
The desired type of learning (e.g., factual knowledge, conceptual knowledge, critical thinking
ability, problem solving, procedural, or attitude change) & specific learning objectives [5
points]
In this lesson, I intend to teach fallacies which is one of the critical thinking skills. My specific
learning objectives are:
1. Learners will be able to correctly describe what fallacies are.
2. Learners will be able to correctly give examples of 5 most common fallacies in daily life.
3. Learners will be able to identify 90% fallacies correctly when analysing others arguments.
4. Learners will be able to create a picture( E.g Meme) to clearly explain an fallacy and
comment on 3 peers pictures.

The description of a particular e-learning/blended learning lesson, instructional strategies,

and technological tools [20 points]
1. Please draw up your e-learning/blended learning model of the lesson (see example on
next page)
The course adopts replacement blended learning model, which reduces class-meeting
time and replaces rather than supplements face to face time with online learning activities
for students(Hew, Cheung, 2014)
Pedagogies: Transmissive Dialogic, Co-constructive.

Figure 1 blended learning model in general

1. There will be a pre-test, which contains 10 questions. Each one is a card. You can swipe left to disagree
with the argument or swipe right to agree the argument. In this case, there will be 5 fallacies that are very
common in daily life. Then students will check the answers. Next, there will pop up a message They are
not all good arguments. Some of them are XXXXX, which are fallacies. Then the learner will check the
questions one by one. Below each question, if its a fallacy, there will be a video illustrates what kind of
fallacy it is. Under the question, theres an discussion forum. The learners are required to give examples
of the same fallacies. Theres also a Q&A area, where students can ask questions with a plugin to insert a
time point of the video and vote for useful questions. After completing the pre-test, the learners will earn
100 points and get a badge. Students have their avatars, which will upgrade when they get more points.
Refer to Appendix 1 to see the interface of the 1st activity.

Figure 2 learning activity 1 pre-test flow diagram

Following learning activities

Figure 3 Following activities flow diagram

2. Learning taxonomies
Read the 2 taxonomies of the fallacies.
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/rhetological-fallacies/
http://www.fallacyfiles.org/taxonomy.html
Read the comics of the fallacies( Optional )
http://existentialcomics.com/comic/9

Discuss with your group mates about the differences among the 2 taxonomies.
Then post to the discussion form in group
a.Summary the difference
b State which one do your group like and why.

3.Do the quizzes

Figure 4 Quizzes about the fallacies

(https://iversity.org/en/my/courses/critical-thinking-reason-and-fair-play-in-communication/
assessment_units/31916/intro)
4.Identify the fallacies in the article.
Read one of the articles, and find out the fallacies,Label the fallacies with its type using Diigo. The
fallacies will be highlight in different colours based on the type.
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/fallacies/sample-arguments-with-fallacies/
Check your answers with the analysis
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/fallacies/sample-arguments-with-fallacies/fallacy-adjunct/

5. Create a picture (E.g, Meme) to explain an fallacy and post it on the discussion forum and comment on
3 peers graphic.
https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

2. Use the table below to describe your instructional strategies and technological tools
Instructional
strategies
Name the fallacies

Technological
tools

Justification

Mind map,
It is commonly claimed that giving a fallacy a name
Graphic, https:// and studying it will help the student identify the fallacy
www.diigo.com/ in the future and will steer them away from using the
fallacy in their own reasoning( Dowden, 2014)
As Steven Pinker(2007) says providing a label for a
complex concept could make it easier to learn the
concept. because the mind can handle it as a single
package when juggling a set of ideas, rather than
having to keep each of its components in the air
separately. It can also give a concept an additional
label in long-term memory, making it more
easily retrievable than ineffable concepts or those with
more roundabout verbal descriptions.

Pre-test

Quizzes

Pre-tests can be used at beginning of a course to

establish a subject knowledge baseline and then
related to an end of the course exam to look at
knowledge added. Pre-tests can also be used as a way
to judge the depth of understanding of prerequisite
material. (Berry, 2008)

Create a picture

Meme generator Gunning(2012) states that creating images serves 3

functions( P.301)
1 Fostering understanding
2 Retaining information
3Monitoring for meaning
Creating literacy instruction for all students.

Asynchronous
online discussion

Discussion
forum

Electronic discussion changes the focus of the learning

process, replacing the single view of the instructor
with the diversity of views from different students.This
diversity of views implicitly requires readers to
compare and evaluate them. (Greenlaw, DeLoach,
2003)
Therere several techniques to facilitate students indepth participation.
1. Students play facilitators roles.Hew and Cheung
(2011) stated that students played the role of
facilitators using 4 techniques may promote higherlevel knowledge construction in online discussion
forum. These four techniques include giving comments
or opinions, showing appreciation, encouraging
people to contribute, and summarising.
Therere two main types of questioning strategies that
student facilitators used to assist students to share
ideas and comments in the discussionsquestions
about viewpoints and questions of clarifications.

2. Selecting discussion topics that included exam

reviews. because studying for the exam can help
improve their grades.(Guzdial and Turns 2000).
3. Increasing the weight of online discussion in the
final grade provided incentive for students to
contribute in the discussion.(Hew, Cheung & Ng 2010)
4 . Giving clear explanations of the purpose of the
online discussion and employing an evaluation rubric
that spells out different marks for different specific
categories of contributions.(Hew, Cheung & Ng 2010)
5. Using posting deadlines for student contribution.
(Hew, Cheung & Ng 2010)
6. Students will be asked to go through some warm-up
pre-discussion activities, such as an ice-breaking
activity. because increased familiarity among
individuals can increase the likelihood of individual
contribution (Cabrera and Cabrera2005), educators
should help students cultivate personal relationships
with one another.(Hew, Cheung & Ng 2010)

Gamification

Gaining points
Badges
Avatar

Every time when a student accomplishes a task, he will

gain some points and badges. His avatar can upgrade
as he gains more points. This can motivate students
participation and make the learning more fun.
As awareness is the key to active participation and
social judgment and reward a major motivational
factor , these should be supported
intensively( Grunewald, Meinel, Totschnig& Willems,
2013) and the gamification elements will raise students
awareness.

Feedback from at least 3 users [10 points]

Comment from user

My opinion

Rationale (may be based

on personal experience,
literature)

Changes I will make to my

lesson

The activities' format,

like quiz for group or
individual, may need to
be specific (so that the
how to get the badge
may be more clear ).

Agree

I found that there need to

be a clear description of
the rule of gaining
badges.

I could add an description

as following: Students will
gain a Good try badge
after they completing the
quiz activity.

It is interesting the
learning process
students follow to learn
about fallacies.

Disagree

Actually, students can

N/A
reply to others comments,
so theres no need to have
another space.

Agree

A reflection can help

students bring their ideas
to their consciousness that
they can evaluate and
decide what they will do
and not (Boud, Keogh&
Walker, 2006, P19).

I recommend to let a
space for students to
write an individual
reflection, after their
classmates write them
some comments.
Lack of individual
reflection.

I could add a final

assignment which requires
students to reflect on their
learning experiences.

In my personal opinion, Disagree

maybe it tends to the
type of facts and
concepts learning
according to the specific
content and objectives in
your description. As for
the type of critical
thinking itself, I think it
is more like develop the
skill of thinking critically
on certain problem or
issue.

The reviewer has an

unclear definition about
critical thinking.
According to Hew and
Cheung(2014),
a critical thinker is one
who makes judicious
conclusions by weighing
alternative or multiple
viewpoints, and justifying
ones answers with
appropriate arguments
and valid supporting
details.
First, developing critical
thinking skills needs to
learn concept as well.
Second, the activity
Identifying fallacies in
an argument is part of
making judicious
conclusions.
Third, Understanding
fallacies concept will also
help the students to avoid
the fallacies when they
are justifying their
answers by constructing
arguments.

In addition, if you look at

other courses about
critical thinking, they all
teach fallacies as an
important part. E.g
https://iversity.org/en/
courses/critical-thinkingin-today-scommunication-may-2015

N/A

Appendix 1
Interface of the 1st activity
I have found some interface pictures from some websites which I think can be applicable to this
course. So please focus on the interface instead of the content.

!
Figure 5 Pre-test welcome page ( https://www.khanacademy.org)

Figure 6 Pre-test question page ( http://www.okcupid.com/home)

Students can swipe left to agree or right to disagree with the argument

!
Figure 7 Question and answer area ( below the test) ( https://www.khanacademy.org)
Students can ask questions by pointing out a time point where he cant understand. They can vote for a
good question.

!
Figure 8 Gaining points page ( After finishing the quiz) ( https://www.khanacademy.org)
This is the gamification part, motivating students to do the learning activities.

!
Figure 9 Results analysis page ( After finishing the quiz) ( https://www.khanacademy.org)
Students can see the result and which one needs to improve and the badges they earned.

!
Figure 10 Avatar page ( students online image) ( https://www.khanacademy.org)
Avatar can upgrade as students gain more points.

References:
Boud, D., Cressey, P., & Docherty, P. (Eds.). (2006). Productive reflection at work: Learning for changing
organizations. Routledge.
Dowden, B. (2014, March 5). Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved April 18, 2015, from http://
www.iep.utm.edu/fallacy/
Pinker, S. (2007). The stuff of thought: Language as a window into human nature, Penguin.
Berry, Thomas. 2008. Pre-test assessment, American Journal of Business Education, Third Quarter
2008, Vol. I, No. 1
Gunning, T. G. (2012). Creating literacy instruction for all students. Pearson Higher Ed.
Greenlaw, S. A., & DeLoach, S. B. (2003). Teaching critical thinking with electronic discussion. The
Journal of Economic Education, 34(1), 36-52.
Hew, K. F., & Cheung, W. S. (2014). Using Blended Learning: Evidence-Based Practices. Springer.

Hew, K. F., & Cheung, W. S. (2011). Higher-level knowledge construction in asynchronous online
discussions: An analysis of group size, duration of online discussion, and student facilitation techniques.
Instructional Science, 39(3), 303-319.
Hew, K. F., Cheung, W. S., & Ng, C. S. L. (2010). Student contribution in asynchronous online
discussion: A review of the research and empirical exploration. Instructional Science, 38(6), 571-606.
Grnewald, F., Meinel, C., Totschnig, M., & Willems, C. (2013). Designing MOOCs for the support of
multiple learning styles. In Scaling up learning for sustained impact (pp. 371-382). Springer Berlin
Heidelberg.
Figure 4[Online image]. (unknown).Retrieved April 16, 2015 fromhttps://iversity.org/en/my/courses/
critical-thinking-reason-and-fair-play-in-communication/assessment_units/31916/intro
Figure 5,7,8,9,10[Online image]. (unknown).Retrieved April 16, 2015
from https://www.khanacademy.org
Figure 6[Online image]. (unknown).Retrieved April 16, 2015
from http://www.okcupid.com/home